Denmark fetes Queen Margrethe II's 40th jubilee with coins

Circulating 20 kroner joins Proof silver, gold issues to mark event

Denmark celebrates the 40th anniversary of Queen Margrethe II’s accession to the throne Jan. 14, 1972, with four 2012 coins. A 20-krone coin, left, is being released both for circulation and in a Proof collector version, along with a Proof .925 fine silver 500-krone coin, middle, and Proof .900 fine gold 3,000-krone coin, right. All images courtesy of Danmarks Nationalbank.

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II celebrates 40 years on the throne on
Jan. 14, and Denmark’s Royal Mint has announced three new coins to
commemorate the event.

Queen Margrethe II took a significant role in designing the coin,
according to the Royal Danish Mint.

Denmark’s mint on Jan. 10 is issuing a circulating 20-krone coin
(about $3.49 in U.S. funds), as well as Proof .999 fine silver
500-krone and .900 fine gold 3,000-krone versions, all bearing similar
designs (the denomination is the only modification). A Proof version
of the circulating 20-krone coin is also being offered.

Design details

The obverse of the coin shows a relief bust of the queen in an
official role as sovereign of the two royal orders of chivalry — the
Order of the Elephant and the Order of Dannebrog — in a new portrait
for Danish coins.

The portrait was designed by sculptor Karin Lorentzen, who has
also designed several other coins, including the coin for the wedding
of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary in 2004.

On the new 40-year anniversary coin, “[I] sought to portray the
queen with wisdom and human warmth,” Lorentzen said. “It has been
modelled with a naturalistic expression with more loosely modelled
ornamental elements/additions.”

Queen Margrethe II is wearing a dress with a fur collar that
“despite its official appearance, has an outdoor quality about it.
This choice of clothing reflects an active queen who appreciates her
annual trips to Greenland, the Faroe Islands, etc.,” Lorentzen said.

The reverse of the 2012 coin features a design directed by the
queen: asked during the design preparatory process if she had special
wishes for the reverse motif, Queen Margrethe II reportedly sketched
an idea to honor the Faroe Islands and Greenland, in addition to
Denmark (which overseas the territories).

Ronny Andersen, royal herald painter, elaborated on the queen’s
draft design, resulting in a composition that includes elements from
the royal coat of arms, including the Faroese ram and the Greenlandic
polar bear.

The composition is surrounded by waves to symbolize the sea that
links the various parts of the kingdom, the queen’s idea. The idea for
the final design, in which the composition is framed by waves in a
diamond-shaped field, also came from the queen, according to the Royal
Danish Mint.

Specifications, versions

The 20-krone coin is available both in a circulating version
available at face value and a Proof version offered at a collector
premium. The two other Proof coins are also offered at their face values.

A total of 750,000 20-krone coins are being issued for
circulation; 20-coin rolls are offered at face value from the Royal
Danish Mint.

The Proof version of the 20-krone coin was sold for 125 Danish
krone during a 30-day window that closed Jan. 16.

The Proof silver 500-krone coin weighs 31.1 grams (1-ounce) and
measures 38 millimeters in diameter, while the Proof gold 3,000-krone
coin weighs 8.65 grams (for an actual gold weight of a quarter-ounce)
and measures 22 millimeters in diameter. Both of these coins are
available at their face values. No mintage limit information was
available for the Proof precious metals coins.

For more information, visit the Royal Danish Mint’s website, www.royalmint.dk. ■

The Commission of Fine Artsâ recommendation for the Proof 2014 American Eagle platinum coin, left, brought outrage and derision at the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee meeting. The CCAC recommended the design to the right.

The Commission of Fine Artsâ recommendation for the Proof 2014 American Eagle platinum coin, left, brought outrage and derision at the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee meeting. The CCAC recommended the design to the right.

The Commission of Fine Artsâ recommendation for the Proof 2014 American Eagle platinum coin, left, brought outrage and derision at the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee meeting. The CCAC recommended the design to the right.

The Commission of Fine Artsâ recommendation for the Proof 2014 American Eagle platinum coin, left, brought outrage and derision at the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee meeting. The CCAC recommended the design to the right.

The Commission of Fine Artsâ recommendation for the Proof 2014 American Eagle platinum coin, left, brought outrage and derision at the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee meeting. The CCAC recommended the design to the right.